Evaluations of Arithmancy
by Bex-La-Get
Summary: Professor Hermione Granger is the best Arithmancy professor Hogwarts has seen in years. But when a student asks a question she doesn't have an answer to, she begins to change the curriculum. But doing so begins to attract some unwanted attention. Dramione. All rights belong to J.K. Rowling.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: So, what started off as a one-shot turned into a mini fic... oops. AU where the war never happened and Draco wasn't a racist little shit. He was more along the lines of a pain in the ass. I hope you guys like it!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 1:**

"Professor Granger," Alex Pierce, a sixth year Ravenclaw, said.

Hermione turned and faced her student. "Yes, Alex?"

"Er, I don't mean to sound ungrateful, ma'am, but for those of us, not going into Ministry jobs, how exactly will knowing how to predict the future with numbers help us in our future? I don't mean any disrespect, I just don't see how I'll use any of this in my future unless I go into a field directly affiliated with it which, last I checked, professional Quidditch isn't particularly big on sitting down and counting numbers."

Hermione opened her mouth to speak but realized that she didn't have an answer for her student. Sure, there were many uses for Arithmancy but when it came down to it: those uses were limited to certain jobs, most of them being Ministry jobs. And, like Alex pointed out, not everyone will go into Ministry or Curse Breaker jobs which is where most of Arithmancy is used.

For the first time in years, Hermione was stumped.

She didn't get a chance to respond, however, as the bell rang signalling the end of class. "No homework tonight. Class dismissed," she said, still in a daze.

Her students packed up, confused at the lack of the homework assignment but filed out quietly. Eventually, the classroom had emptied leaving Hermione alone with her thoughts. She looked out the window, lost in her thoughts, grateful that was her last class of the day. She wasn't sure she'd be able to stay focused after a revelation like that.

* * *

"But, Neville, he has a point! Arithmancy, while broad in the subject is limited when it actually comes to using it," Hermione said. She was currently sitting in the Three Broomsticks with Neville, expressing her frustrations over her predicament she found herself in after Alex's question in class today. "I mean, what if I'm just teaching them useless information that they'll never use?!"

"Well of course you are," Draco Malfoy said, placing three pints onto the table and pushing two to his fellow professors. Neville shot an annoyed look in his direction but Draco didn't flinch. Hermione groaned and buried her face into her hands. "Calm down, Granger, you know it's not true."

"But what if it is?" She asked, looking at both of them. "Neville, you teaching Herbology helps prepare the students for jobs as Healers or Herbologists or even Potioneers while Draco is the best DADA professor the school's seen in years! You have mini-Aurors running around everywhere and I'm almost positive that Sebastian Weiner is going to be Minister of Magic someday. But what am I doing? I'm preparing them for a desk job!" She took a swig of her drink. "You know what kills me the most? I didn't have an answer for Alex. I just stood there, like an idiot trying to find an answer for him but I don't have one! What kind of professor does that make me?!"

"Okay, you have _got_ to calm down!" Neville said. "Would you listen to yourself? You graduated at the top of our class, you're one of the best Arithmancers in the bloody country, and your past students have graduated with some of the highest grades in Arithmancy Hogwarts has ever seen! You're brilliant, Hermione. Don't let one question completely throw you off."

"But they're not being prepared for anything in regards to their careers like they are in your classes."

"Then find a way to prepare them," Draco said.

"How?" She asked. "Where would I begin?"

"Change the curriculum," Draco said. "You're in charge of the class, Granger, use that to your advantage. You can decide what you want to teach them in regards to Arithmancy."

"But the Board of Governors-"

"The Board is merely there to advise and monitor. They know nothing about running a classroom, let alone the curriculum. Everything that you've taught so far has been the standard for the past Merlin knows how many years! I know I wouldn't complain if things were to be changed up a little." The gears started turning in her head so Draco drove the point home. "For Merlin's sake, Granger, you're a muggleborn! Use the math methods you learned in your muggle schooling and find a way to make them apply to Arithmancy. By combining both methods, you can experiment and find different ways to teach your students how they can continue to use the things that they learn in your class in their everyday lives long after they've graduated."

"How do you know about muggle math?" Hermione asked.

Draco shrugged. "I read a lot."

"Malfoy, that… was actually some really good advice," Neville mused.

"I've been known to have my moments," Draco smirked, taking a sip of his drink.

Hermione bit her lip as she thought about what Draco said. There were many muggle math methods that muggles used in their everyday lives. Perhaps Draco was right… maybe this was exactly what she was looking for.

* * *

 _ **Please review!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

When the sixth years entered Arithmancy on Wednesday, they were surprised to find a stack of books on Professor Granger's desk as well as a blank board, which was rare as there was always something written on it. Professor Granger, herself, was leaning against her desk, smiling to herself. After two sleepless nights, a lot of coffee and more Pepperup Potion than was probably wise, she finally managed to find a way to make Arithmancy apply to everyday life. She hated to admit it, but Malfoy had been a big help. Depending on how class went today, she would either be thanking him or smacking him. She hoped, for his sake, it would be the former.

Speak of the devil, just as the last of her class filed in, she noticed that Draco slipped in right before the door closed. He picked a seat in the back of the class away from everyone else and smirked when he made eye contact with her. She raised an eyebrow but left it alone for the time being, choosing instead to start her class.

"On Monday, Alex pointed something out to me that, at the time, I didn't have an answer to," she began. Alex Pierce shifted uncomfortably in his seat but she smiled at him, reassuringly. "I am happy to say that, now, I _do_ have an answer."

She walked behind her desk and took a book off of the pile. "When asked how Arithmancy would apply to your lives in the future, the only answer I initially thought of was that you would use it in your careers. But not all of you will be going into a career where Arithmancy is used… except you will. It just won't be as obvious to you as it is now."

She flipped through the book and stopped on a page, then smiled to herself before looking back to her class. "Tell me, in Quidditch, there is a move called the Doppler Beater Defense. In order to properly execute that play, what do you need to do?"

Victoria Lewis, a sixth year Slytherin, raised her hand. Hermione nodded her head to her. "You need to time the play right with your fellow Beater, along with hitting it with the same force in order to get the desired effect."

"Exactly," Hermione said, closing the book and placing it back on her desk. "When you're training, how do you keep track of where you're supposed to move in order to help your teammates? Alex?"

Alex cleared his throat. "We're supposed to always know where every single person on our team is while focusing on our opponent. If we lose track of our teammates, we need to relocate them as quick as possible while keeping the opponent at bay."

"What would you call that?" Hermione asked, smiling.

"Strategizing," Alex said, his brows furrowing.

Hermione nodded then looked to another student. "If you were playing Quidditch, but couldn't see the scoreboard due to… we'll say bad weather, how would you know what the score would be?"

The student paused and thought. "You'd have to pay close attention to the announcer and keep track of the score in your head."

Hermione nodded and leaned against her desk. "Now, what's something that's in common with all of those questions I just asked you, and don't say Quidditch."

The class was silent as they contemplated her question. She glanced at Draco who raised an eyebrow as the class looked amongst one another for help and he rolled his eyes. Hermione looked around at her students and smiled as Alex raised his hand. "Yes, Alex?"

"Er, Arithmancy?" He guessed.

Hermione snapped her fingers and grinned. "Bingo; well done, Alex. Ten points to Ravenclaw." She waved her hand and the word _Quidditch_ appeared on the board. "We have just proved how Arithmancy can be used in Quidditch. Can anyone give me another example where Arithmancy would be used?"

Victoria raised her hand. "Potions?"

Hermione nodded and _Potions_ appeared on the board and Hermione awarded ten points to Slytherin. Herbology, Astronomy, Ancient Runes, and even Transfiguration were all added to the board and the class began sharing different ideas of how they would use Arithmancy in all of those particular subjects.

Hermione was smiling as her idea was working. "You're all correct in your ideas. Each of these subjects uses Arithmancy in some shape or form. But you're forgetting one of the most important ones. Anyone know which one it is?"

The class was silent so she answered for them. "Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"How?" One student asked.

Hermione smirked. "Professor Malfoy, would you care to enlighten the class?"

"Certainly," he said, standing up from his spot in the back of the class. He stood in front of the door and smirked at Hermione. " _Expelliarmus_!" He said, instantly pulling his wand out and aiming at Hermione.

Fortunately, Hermione was quick and threw up a shield charm just in time, causing the spell to bounce off and hit a nearby wall. Hermione lowered her arm and sent an exasperated expression his way. "That was not what I meant," she said.

"But it was still educational," he smirked, walking towards the front of the class. "You see, kids, while Defense is primarily about being prepared for anything, there are moments when careful calculations can save your life… or take someone else's. When using Defense techniques, you must remember that timing is everything, just like Quidditch. Mr. Pierce mentioned earlier that when training for Quidditch matches, the team will strategize their plays in hopes of winning the game; the same rule applies to Defense. If any of you go into the Aurors, you'll see that no one ever runs right into action; they plan their every move and ensure that every and any possibility has been covered before even thinking about going after a criminal. In short, strategizing, which we've already established requires Arithmancy, could potentially save your life."

The bell rang and, for the first time, the students didn't want class to end. Draco looked down at Hermione and smirked while she gave out the homework assignment to her students. "I'd like you to write down a minimum of ten things that you think you use Arithmancy for in your everyday life. When we next meet, we will discuss whether or not Arithmancy can be used for each thing on your list. Have a good rest of your day, everyone!"

The class packed up and left the room, chatting about the lesson they had just had. When the two professors were the only people left, Hermione looked to Draco. "I suppose I ought to thank you."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? For what, exactly?"

"Giving me the idea of using muggle mathematics and combining it with Arithmancy. Today's lesson would have been a lot more boring had you not suggested that."

He smirked. "Well, I'm glad I could be of service." She began to clean up her desk when Draco put his hand on top of hers. "What are you doing tonight?"

Her heart nearly stopped when she looked up and saw how close he was standing. Had his eyes always had hints of silver in them? "Er, I was just going to grade some papers and maybe do some more research on combining muggle math with Arithmancy. W-why do you ask?"

"Have dinner with me," he said, his voice quiet but confident. She nearly melted at the sound of it but managed to find her voice and her brain before doing so.

"O-on a school night?" She said, not nearly as confident as she'd wanted. She wasn't even sure why that was the thing that came out but it was too late to take it back now.

Draco chuckled. "Scared you'll get caught being out past curfew?"

She swallowed and shook her head. "No, no, not at all." She took a deep breath to steady her rapid heartbeat she was sure he could hear. "Dinner sounds great."

He smiled and her heart sped up even more! "Great," he said. "Three Broomsticks at seven?"

She nodded. "See you at seven."

He brushed a curl behind her ear before stepping back and walked towards the door. He was halfway out of the classroom when she found her voice and confidence. "Hey Malfoy!" He turned around and looked at her curiously. "The next time you throw a hex at me, you'll be waking up in St. Mungo's!"

He laughed and nodded in understanding before walking out of the room, leaving a breathless Hermione behind.

* * *

 _ **You know the drill...**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

Hermione arrived at Three Broomsticks with five minutes to spare. She was hoping she would be early so she'd have a minute to compose herself before seeing Draco but, as luck would have it, he was early too.

When he saw her, his jaw nearly dropped. She had picked a navy blue lace number with very thin straps to hold it up and just enough cleavage to make someone wonder. She briefly wondered if she should have worn something else but when Draco approached her and told her how beautiful she looked, she stopped second guessing herself.

Dinner was lovely, the conversation never lulled, and by the end of the night, Hermione knew she was in trouble by the way that her heart sped up every time he smiled at her; which was quite often. As they left the restaurant, he entwined his fingers with her and they walked through the village, talking about various topics ranging from their classes to muggle London to books. When they reached the castle gates, Draco turned to her and smiled.

"It's only nine-fifteen. Want a nightcap?"

She smiled and nodded and they walked to the castle hand in hand. Thankfully, they didn't spot any students while walking back to Draco's quarters making the walk more pleasant and allowing the conversation to continue uninterrupted. Once they arrived to his quarters, however, all conversation stopped and the idea of a nightcap was soon forgotten as Hermione pulled Draco in for a kiss, the second they stepped through the door. Draco had no complaints about this and before long, Hermione was pinned against the wall, her hands in his hair, while Draco held her tight.

Eventually, Hermione's dress slid to the floor and Draco's clothes were scattered amongst the room as they had been thrown as soon as they had come off of him. They barely made it to the bed before before becoming a tangled mess of limbs. They made passionate love to each other, making Draco grateful for the permanent silencing and automatic door locking charms he had placed on his quarters to ensure that he wouldn't be disturbed when he wanted to be alone or, in this case, with Hermione.

They called out each other's names in their climax then lay tangled together on Draco's bed, neither saying anything. Hermione ran a finger along Draco's stubble while he traced patterns onto her back and shared soft kisses. They were in the middle of a very good snogging session when Draco's alarm rang next to the bed.

Draco groaned and hit the alarm. "What time is it?" Hermione asked.

He glanced back at the clock. "Ten 'o clock; time for curfew."

She furrowed her brows. "You have an alarm for when curfew is?"

He nodded. "Sometimes I like to go for walks at night when the halls are clear except for the prefects. It's nice and quiet and allows time for me to think."

"About what?"

He shrugged. "Just stuff. My classes, my parents… you."

"Me?" She asked, lifting her head up with one hand. "What about me?"

"Mostly about how I would ask you out. I've been planning this for a while you see. It just went better than I had anticipated."

She laughed at that. "Well I'm glad I exceeded your expectations."

He brushed a curl behind her ear and smiled. "You always exceed my expectations, Hermione. And I wouldn't expect any less from you." He kissed her softly before speaking again. "Still want that nightcap?" He asked, sitting up and putting on a pair of sweatpants that were laying on a nearby chair.

Hermione nodded and grabbed Draco's button down that had managed to be thrown close to her side of the bed in their haste of undressing each other and put it on. She found her knickers and put them on as well before following Draco out into his small kitchen where he was pouring a bottle of Firewhiskey into two glasses. He smiled at her as she joined him and handed her a glass before holding his own out. "A toast: to the start of something new."

"Cheers," Hermione smiled before downing her glass.

He smirked and played with her curls, wrapping them around his fingers. Hermione chuckled and poured herself another glass of Firewhiskey before taking his hand and leading him back into the bedroom but not before he grabbed the whole bottle. They sat back down on the bed and drank and talked about everything and nothing.

"Are you doing anything next weekend?" Draco asked. Hermione shook her head. "Well, since it's a Hogsmeade weekend then, I was thinking while everyone was gone, you and I could go on a picnic."

"Oh, Draco, I'd love to but don't we have to supervise the kids that weekend?"

He shook his head. "I put both our names down on the calendar and told McGonagall we had other plans already."

"When did you do that?"

"Last week…"

Hermione laughed. "You were that sure I was going to say yes to going on a date with you?"

"I was that sure I could convince to come with me," he smirked. "If you hadn't said yes to tonight it would have made it a little harder but, fortunately, it didn't come to that."

Hermione rolled her eyes and smacked him on the arm. "Yeah, you definitely have the right job being head of Slytherin."

He laughed. "While that may be true, I don't think I've seen a braver head of Gryffindor. I mean, you're changing the school's Arithmancy curriculum right under the Board's noses and you don't seem to care one bit. If that doesn't scream brave, I don't know what is."

She sighed. "I suppose but now I'm wondering if I'm doing the right thing by changing it up."

"Of course you are! Pierce had the right idea: what is a Quidditch player going to do with the knowledge of knowing how to predict the future with numbers? Nothing. But what you taught them today will change the way people look at Quidditch knowing that by using strategy, they can better their chances of winning a match. In one lesson, you opened a new door for them. Imagine how they'll be at the end of the year!"

"But what if the Board of Governors finds out? How would they react to a method they've known for years is being changed with every lesson?"

"Not everyone is going to agree with your methods right away, Hermione. But they don't matter. What matters is what you choose to teach your students and if what you're teaching them better prepares them for the future, then screw the Board! At the end of the day, they're not the ones teaching a classroom full of students; you are."

She smiled. "I suppose you're right."

He smirked. "Of course I am!" She laughed at that and he took her hand in his. "Listen, if word about this _does_ get to the Board, I'll talk to my father and try to get him to see that what you're doing is helping the students, not limiting them."

"You think he'll listen?"

He shrugged. "Who's to say. My father is a complicated man but does have the school's best interests at heart. Usually."

She chuckled and shook her head. "Well, even if the Board throws a fit, I'm not going back to the old ways. They're outdated and useless for someone not going into the field needed. They can make whatever threats they want, I won't back down."

"There's the Hermione I adore," Draco said, smiling. She blushed but didn't have time to respond as Draco's lips met hers again. They didn't do a whole lot of talking after that...

* * *

 _ **Review, please?**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

Alas, the Board of Directors _did_ find out about Hermione's change to the Arithmancy curriculum and they were _not_ happy about it. Over the Christmas holidays, Hermione's students had apparently told their parents about the changes she was making and, while some parents were excited about the change and were glad their children were learning more than just basic numerology, the parents who preferred to stick to tradition threw fits and wrote to the Board of Directors.

When Draco got word that the Board was questioning his girlfriend's teaching abilities, he pulled his father aside and explained all the good that Hermione's changes were doing. Lucius, then, took it upon himself to visit the class in question and watch this new method in action for himself. McGonagall joined the elder Malfoy, her curiosity peaking as she had yet to see what the students were learning and, since he had a free period, Draco would be sitting in as well for moral support, of course.

When the sixth years entered, they seemed confused by the presence of their Defense professor, the Headmistress, and the Head of the Board of Governors sitting in the back of the class but soon forgot about it as the lesson started.

"Alright, so I was thinking about something the other day that I want to talk to you about," Hermione started. "How many of you know how to buy a house?"

No one raised their hand, although Lucius did raise an eyebrow.

Hermione nodded, her theory confirmed. "How many of you know how to properly budget your life?" Again, no one raised their hand. "Does anyone know what a mortgage is?" A couple of muggle-borns raised their hands but when she called on them, neither of the students had the proper definition for the word.

"A mortgage is when someone pulls out money from a bank or a creditor to pay for something, in this case a house. Once that person buys that house, they must begin to make payments back to the creditor for a certain period of time until their house has been paid off. Does anyone know why this is important?"

Victoria raised her hand. "Is it so that we learn how to pay something off in time?"

"Partially yes," Hermione answered. "It's also important because mortgages are quite common in the muggle world and, while they're fairly rare in the wizarding world, they're still around.

"As we discussed last term, muggle mathematics and wizard Arithmancy are not so different from one another once you find common ground between the two. The same can be said in regards to mortgages and buying a house. Now, for those of you from a multi-generation wizarding family, you may not have to worry about this so much as many of you will inherit your family homes; am I correct?" Many of her students nodded in confirmation. "That being said, those of us who are muggleborns or don't come from long lines of wizarding families don't have that same luxury. Once we graduate Hogwarts, we are left alone in a world that we only know about through Hogwarts and our various experiences. While some may choose to return to their parent's home and live amongst muggles for a time while they get set up in the wizarding world, others don't have that option and have to scramble to find a place to live while they get started in their careers. And once they are established, they have no idea where to start looking for a house or how to pay for one. That's why for the next few classes, I'm going to teach you everything I can about buying a house, budgeting your life, filing your taxes, how to take out a loan, etc. Even though you're not graduating for another year, having this information in your back pocket will make a world of difference once you leave Hogwarts."

As Hermione continued her lesson, smiling to herself as her students seemed to be completely engrossed by everything that she was saying, she briefly thought to herself that she wished she had had the opportunity to learn these things when she had attended school. The students groaned when the bell rang, signalling the end of class. She laughed at their reactions.

"Don't worry, everyone, this discussion is far from over; we'll pick this back up on Friday. No homework tonight."

Her students filed out of the classroom, leaving only the adults. Draco grinned and walked towards Hermione, pulling her into a tight hug and running his hands up and down her back, in an attempt to relieve some tension that she was feeling. When he released her, they turned to face Lucius and McGonagall, who were walking towards them. "Mr. Malfoy, thank you for coming today," Hermione said, shaking the elder Malfoy's hand. "I hope, now that you've seen pieces of the new curriculum in action, you have a better understanding of why I chose to make these changes."

Lucius' lips quirked into a small smile. "I will admit, Miss Granger, I had my doubts about these new changes you were making but after watching your class today, it seems that you, indeed, have the right idea in teaching the students this new information. I admit, there were some things in your lesson today that were new even to me and I do intend to look more into it; but that will have to happen later. Right now, I think it is rather important that you, Professor McGonagall, and I have a chat. When would be the best time to do that?"

"Er, well, my seventh years are next and then I'm done for the day. Would that work for the two of you?"

McGonagall and Lucius nodded and thanked Hermione before walking out of the classroom, talking quietly with each other. Hermione glanced at Draco who shrugged and kissed her temple comfortingly before leaving her to teach his next class, leaving her alone with just her thoughts.

* * *

Hermione climbed the stairs to the Headmistress' office with dread filling her insides. When she knocked on McGonagall's door, she took a deep breath to steady her nerves before walking in.

"Have a seat, Hermione," McGonagall said. Hermione vaguely noticed that Lucius was standing off to the side rather than sitting but did as she was told. McGonagall sighed before she began to explain why Hermione was there. "Hermione, there's no easy way to say this so I'm just going to come right out with it: you're being evaluated by the Board of Governors."

Hermione's stomach dropped. "Evaluated? For changing the Arithmancy curriculum?"

"I'm afraid it's more than that; the Board feels that by changing the curriculum, you're no longer focusing on the important aspects of the class and I quote 'distracting the students from their intended lesson plan to help prepare them for life after Hogwarts.'"

"But I am preparing these kids for life after Hogwarts!" Hermione argued. "I'm teaching them how to survive after they leave school and how Arithmancy fits into their daily lives rather than just in the classroom or workplace!" She turned her attention to Lucius. "Mr. Malfoy, you watched my class with your own eyes today and even said so, yourself, that you learned things today that you never knew about! Can't you explain that to the Board and convince them to retract the evaluation."

Lucius shook his head, grimly. "I'm afraid I've been outnumbered, Miss Granger. Even with my experience from watching your class today, the Board still insists that the changes you're making are unnecessary and they refuse to budge on their position."

Hermione was shaking and gripped the chair she was sitting to keep herself from falling over. "How is the evaluation going to happen?"

Lucius answered. "The top members of the Board, myself included, will observe several of your classes and then make a decision about how we feel about the new information being taught."

"What then?"

"Then, we'll call you here into McGonagall's office and give you our decision," Lucius said.

McGonagall looked at her with sad eyes. "At this point, it looks like once you and your class have been evaluated, you'll be given a choice: return to the old curriculum or forfeit your position as the Arithmancy professor at Hogwarts."

"What?!" Hermione said. "That's it? Those are the only options they're giving me? It sounds like they've already made their decision!"

"In a way, they have," Lucius answered. "I've asked for them to give you the benefit of the doubt but they seem pretty set in their decision."

Hermione thought she was going to cry. It wasn't _fair_! Why was she being punished for trying to make her student's lives easier and prove a point that Arithmancy will come in very handy throughout their lives.

"When will the evaluation happen?" She asked, her voice shaky as she struggled to fight the tears.

"In one month's time," McGonagall answered.

* * *

"'Evaluated!' Like I'm a bloody pig being prepared to be shipped off to the damn slaughter house!"

"That seems like a bit of a strong analogy," Neville said.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well it doesn't change the fact that it's sadly true." She took a swig of her Firewhiskey. "Gods, I change things up in my class and next thing I know, my bloody job is being threatened! Who the hell came up with that dumb idea?!"

"The same morons who thought it would be appropriate to have a tournament at a school where people have died in the past," Draco said. "The Board of Governors is nothing more than a bunch of old pricks who don't like change so they try to shut down any effort at modifications, no matter how big or small, being made to the school."

"You realize your father is among that group," Neville pointed out.

Draco nodded. "And he's an old prick. But he's a _smart_ old prick who knows a good idea when he sees one! Ever since he sat in on Hermione's class, he's been trying to get the Board to retract the call for evaluation, putting everything he has into it. He's managed to change a few minds but not enough to make a difference in vote." He entwined his fingers with Hermione's and squeezed. "He's going to keep doing what he can in the time he has until the evaluation."

Neville sighed. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Hermione shook her head. "Not unless you can convince the Board that what I'm teaching my kids will have countless benefits for them in the future."

His shoulders dropped and Hermione reached across the table to squeeze his hand. "I appreciate the effort, Neville, really. This is just something I'm going to have to fight on my own."

Draco cleared his throat and Hermione chuckled. "You know that's not what I meant, love. I mean, no matter who your father talks to or what strings either of you can pull, unless the evaluation gets retracted, I will be facing the Board that day alone. And only I can prove to them that I'm doing the right thing by changing things up."

"And if they give you the ultimatum?" Neville asked.

"I'm not returning to the old methods. I've already decided that. If I'm pushed to that point, I'll quit and apply to other schools; I know Ilvermorny in America teaches Arithmancy the way that I do so that right there could be a potential job opportunity for me."

Draco's hand tightened around Hermione's and she put her free hand on top of their clasped ones. "I don't want to leave Hogwarts; but I will if they back me into a corner."

"Well, if you leave, so will I," Draco said.

"Me too," Neville agreed.

"Guys, no! This is my fight, not yours. I don't want you leaving just because I am."

Neville shrugged. "I'm not worried; being a professor has its perks, one of which being that I can get a job anywhere."

"Same," Draco agreed before looking to Hermione. "And there's no way in hell that I'm letting you go. If you leave, I leave too." Hermione smiled and rested her head against Draco's shoulder. "Besides," Draco continued, "how would it look if the Board lost three professors after challenging changes to one of it's classes that's had students graduating with high marks for the past few years?"

"It would look pretty bad on the Board's part," Neville agreed.

"It would look _very_ bad on the Board's part. Which is exactly why us leaving would have them reconsider refusing changes to the curriculum. I think we can all agree the Board would rather change the class rather than lose three professors due to a choice _they_ made."

Neville's eyes widened at that. "That's genius! What do you think, Hermione? Hermione?"

Neville and Draco looked to their brunette companion only to find out that she had fallen asleep on Draco's shoulder. Both men chuckled and looked back to each other. "I suppose we'll have to pick this back up at another time," Neville joked, standing up.

Draco nodded and picked Hermione up bridal style. Neville smiled at the sight. "Take care of her, Malfoy."

"I will, Longbottom," he smirked. "Good night."

"G'night!" Neville said as he walked out of Draco's quarters. Draco gently placed Hermione on the bed and covered her with the blanket and kissed her temple. "Goodnight, love." The last thing he thought before falling asleep himself was _Merlin, let the evaluation go well._

* * *

 **One more to go...**


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: The last chapter! You ready?**_

 ** _Tallyho!_**

* * *

 **Chapter 5:**

The day of the evaluation came faster than Hermione wanted. She wasn't sure she was ready for it but she also knew she had no choice _but_ to be ready. Draco gave her a good luck kiss that morning and promised to stop by during his free period. Neville gave her a thumbs up at breakfast and also promised to stop by during his free period. As the bell rang for the morning classes to begin, McGonagall gave her a nod of encouragement and Hermione held her chin high as she walked to her classroom.

She stopped in her tracks however when she saw the last person she ever expected to be in her classroom. "Harry!" She exclaimed, running into her best friend's arms. "What are you doing here?" She asked, pulling out of the hug. "How's Ginny? Is Ron with you? How is America?"

"Whoa, one question at a time!" He laughed. "Neville wrote to me about your predicament and I thought I'd come support you today. Ginny's good and both she and Ron send their regards and apologize that they couldn't be here. Ron's busy with training in Greece right now and Ginny's about to publish her third book so she couldn't get away, sadly. America's good but we're thinking of moving back to England when my contract runs out at the end of March."

"That would be amazing if you did! I miss you!" She said.

"I miss you too! I feel so out of the loop now that Ginny and I are in America; we're only updated on what's been happening here via the papers and the letters we get from you, Neville, and the rest of the Weasleys. Speaking of which, what's this I hear about you and Malfoy?"

"Miss Granger," a new voice said before she could respond. She turned around to find Lucius Malfoy standing in front of her, an apologetic expression on his face. "We're ready when you are," he said.

She nodded and squeezed Harry's arm before walking up to the front of the classroom and began to pull out the necessary papers she had written on for her classes. She waited for her full class of third years to arrive, avoiding eye contact with the members of the Board who sat at the back of the class. Once the last of the stragglers came into class, Hermione began to teach. "Who here can tell me the differences and similarities between muggle mathematics and Arithmancy?"

* * *

Aside from the group of Board members, Harry Potter, and the occasional visit from Neville, McGonagall, and a few other teachers wanting to support their fellow professor, sitting in the back of her classroom all day, the lessons went off without a hitch. Every single class she taught had all of her student's full attention; her students were constantly asking questions which she would answer to the best of her abilities, and even managed to spark a debate with her fifth years about whether or not interest rates in the wizarding world were better than the muggle world.

By lunch, she was exhausted and she still had two more classes to go: her fourth years and her sixth years. She had noticed that the Board members seemed irritated when they left her class before lunch and she wondered why. When she got to the staff table, her question was answered. "It seems you're far more popular than the Board was hoping for," Neville explained. "They're irritated because they were hoping that your changes were making the class more difficult, not easier. Not that they've seen it's the opposite, they're struggling to stick to their original opinion."

She sighed in relief. "Well that's better than I was expecting. Maybe we have a chance to change their minds after all."

"You still have two more classes right?" She nodded. "Good; when they see how the older kids react to the material, that should be the final thing they need to prove them wrong."

"Gods, I hope you're right, Neville," Hermione said.

He smiled encouragingly at her and squeezed her hand. "It'll be alright, Hermione."

* * *

Finally, it was her last class: the sixth years. The evaluation was almost over, Harry, Merlin love him, had stayed the whole day, and even Draco had come by to watch the last lesson. It was going incredibly well; she had assigned her students a scenario of a wizard attempting to buy a house and they were to figure out what the better option for them would be: buy in the wizarding world or the muggle one. She had given the students the interest rates for both potential houses and the initial budget the wizard had to spend on a house. She had divided the room, with one half of the students doing the calculations for the muggle world and the other half doing the calculations for the wizarding world. When both sides were done, Hermione would put the answers up on the board and hold a discussion amongst her class to see which was the better option.

She walked around the room and talked to her students as they performed the calculations. She busted out laughing, though, when she passed a student and found them using a muggle calculator. "Victoria, where did you get that?"

Victoria smiled sheepishly at Hermione. "My dad's a muggle so I asked him to send me one in order to help me out with the homework assignments. Am I not allowed to use it because I can-"

Hermione shook her head and smiled. "You are absolutely allowed to use it, Victoria. I'm just more disappointed that I didn't think of it, myself." Victoria's smile grew at that. "Is it helping at least?" Hermione asked.

Victoria nodded. "Yes; it's so much faster than writing everything down by hand and now I can check my answers just by pressing a few buttons and know whether or not I need to change something immediately."

Hermione smiled and squeezed her shoulder. "I'm glad it's working for you; you're more than welcome to continue using it as long as you're finding it helpful. Oh, and five points to Slytherin for pure ingenuity."

Victoria blushed at her professor's praise and returned to her work while Hermione walked to the back of the classroom. "Am I allowed to know how it's going so far?" She asked when she approached the Board members. Draco and Harry were talking quietly to each other off to the side but were now watching to see how this would go.

Lucius chuckled and shook his head. "Not until we've made a decision."

She shrugged, hiding her disappointment behind a smirk. "It was worth a shot."

"Excuse me, Professor Granger," a different Board member said, "but what exactly is that contraption that your student is using?"

Hermione glanced back to Victoria and smiled to herself. "That's a muggle calculator. It's used to make calculations quickly in order to save time and writing space. Almost every muggle has one."

"But why is she using one _here_?" The Board member emphasized.

She shrugged. "Why not? I didn't say that she couldn't and if it helps her understand the material better, who am I to stop her?"

"But it's a muggle device;" said the Board member. "I didn't think those were supposed to work on Hogwarts grounds."

"Muggle technology like phones and computers won't but calculators run on a different sort of energy source called batteries. Since they're not connected to any sort of electrical circuit, they can work here in the castle."

"And you're okay with your student essentially cheating on an assignment," he said accusingly.

She sighed and took a deep breath in order to keep her temper in check. "I'm sorry, I never caught your name," she began, holding her hand out to shake his.

"That's because I didn't tell you it," he said with disdain. "Roland Sanders." He didn't shake her hand.

Hermione dropped her hand to her side but refused to let it phase her. "Mr. Sanders, muggle schools have their students use calculators on a daily basis in all of their math classes. It's not a form of cheating, it's just a method to make calculations go by faster. I realize that you may not approve but if it helps my students understand the material better, who am I to stand in the way of that?"

"Miss Granger, I don't think you're understanding why we're so reluctant about these new methods," he argued.

"No, Mr. Sanders, it's _you_ who doesn't understand. I'm here to enrich these kids' understanding of one of the oldest subjects in the wizarding world. When one student pointed out to me that except for a few jobs, most of what's taught in this class won't be used in daily life, I decided to prove that Arithmancy is, indeed, used in everyday situations. If I had to use muggle techniques to prove that, so what? Isn't the important thing that I'm finding ways to show my students that the things they're learning in my class will help them in the future no matter where they end up?

"You've made it very clear that you don't approve of my muggle techniques, otherwise you wouldn't be here, evaluating my ability as a teacher. And until a decision is made, I will run my class the way I choose to do so. If a student wants to use a calculator to help her solve a problem, so be it; I won't stop her. I ask that you give me the same courtesy and let me do my job while I've still got one."

Sanders was red in the face but said nothing as he noticed that, not only was the rest of the Board (Lucius Malfoy included), Harry Potter, and Draco Malfoy watching the interaction, the rest of the class had stopped to listen in as well. He backed down but the glare he sent Hermione's way suggested that she wouldn't have a job much longer.

Hermione took another deep breath and looked back to her class, avoiding eye contact with anyone else but her students. "Do you have your answers?" She asked, her voice strained.

Several students nodded and Hermione waved her hand and all the parchments that her students had written on appeared on the board under their respective columns: _Muggle World_ and _Wizarding World_. She walked up to the front of the class and scanned the answers before looking back to her students.

"Alright, Wizard Team. How'd you get these answers?"

* * *

As Hermione sat in the Headmaster's office for, presumably, the last time, she looked around and tried to remember every little detail, down to the small sundial on McGonagall's desk. If this was to be the last time she'd see this office, she wanted to remember it like this: peaceful, quiet, comfortable.

She was pulled out of her thoughts as the office door opened and McGonagall walked in, followed by the Board members. All of their expressions were unreadable, so Hermione had no idea what news she was about to get; still, she braced herself for the bad just in case.

"Professor Granger," Lucius Malfoy said, approaching her, "on behalf of the Board of Governors, I'd like to apologize for any stress we may have caused you over the past month. Many members of the board felt that the changes you were making to the curriculum were unnecessary and taking away from the learning aspect of the class, and therefore inhibiting them from preparing for their OWLs and NEWTs properly. I am very happy to say that they now feel that they were wrong in their judgements."

Hermione blinked, unsure if she had heard him correctly. "Pardon?"

Lucius smirked. "You have proved to the Board in more ways than one that the new information you are teaching your students _will_ benefit them in the future and it has only increased their chances of doing well on their exams. You've made such a difference in such a short amount of time that now, the OWL and NEWT exams are being modified to match your new curriculum."

Her eyes widened at that. "Really?"

He nodded. "Really. The test won't be properly ready until next year but by then, this new curriculum will be enforced along with the old curriculum. We'd like you to write out a general lesson plan for each class and what you intend to cover in them and then send it to us to look over. We'll then call you in and hold a meeting to either slightly modify or approve your new lesson plan. Is that to your satisfaction?"

Hermione couldn't believe she was hearing this. She was _sure_ she was getting fired. "I- I'm sorry, I'm having a bit of trouble connecting the dots here. I can stay? _And_ I can continue to teach the new curriculum?"

This time, Roland Sanders answered. "Professor Granger, as far as we're concerned, you have a job here for the rest of your life if you so desire it."

She looked to McGonagall for confirmation and found the Headmistress trying to keep her grin under control. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes and she looked back to Sanders and nodded. "I- I would love that. Thank you. But sir, if I may, I don't understand your change of heart. Earlier, you seemed so set on rejecting the muggle methods I was teaching my students. What prompted you to change?"

Sanders smirked. "You did, Professor." His smirk grew at her confused expression. "I'm a traditionalist in every sense of the word, Professor Granger, but there is one thing I respect more than tradition: loyalty. The way you defended your students earlier proved to me that, although I may not approve of the methods, you truly care about your students and simply want the best for them. I can't stand in the way of someone who stands up a Board member, risking her job in the process, only to help her students improve in the best ways possible. You proved to me, and everyone else, that you are the only option for these students to succeed. And I am honored to have had the privilege of watching this new curriculum first hand. You've earned your title, Professor. And you've earned my respect as well."

Hermione was shaking. She was keeping her job; and the curriculum could stay! She couldn't believe it. She looked around the room and smiled to herself then took a deep breath. "Thank you, Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Sanders, and the rest of the Board. I understand why you needed to perform this evaluation and I wish I could express in words how much it means to me that you approve of my changes. I promise, I won't let you down."

"We know you won't, Professor," Sanders said. He nodded to McGonagall before walking to the fireplace and flooing out, the rest of the Board members following, except for Lucius, who had stayed behind. As soon as the last Board member was gone, McGonagall practically ran over to Hermione and pulled her into a tight hug, which she wholeheartedly returned.

"Oh my God!" Hermione exclaimed when they pulled out of the hug. "Did that really just happen?"

Lucius chuckled. "Yes, it did, Miss Granger. Congratulations."

She walked over to Lucius and shook his hand. "Mr. Malfoy, I can't thank you enough for the support you gave me. I don't think today would have gone as well if I didn't have you in my corner."

Lucius gave her a genuine smile and shook his head. "Think nothing of it, Miss Granger. My son may think otherwise, but I know a good idea when I see one. And I also know they don't call you the brightest witch of your age for nothing." She blushed. "Shall we go down? I think I saw a few of your students waiting for you at the bottom of the stairs when we came up." Hermione nodded and walked downstairs with McGonagall and Lucius following. When they reached the hallway, however, all three stopped in their tracks.

What started off as a few students turned into what looked like half the student body, several professors (Draco and Neville included), Harry, and even a few ghosts; and they were all waiting for her. As soon as the crowd saw her they hushed and looked at her expectantly. "W-what are you all doing here?" She asked.

"We're waiting on you," Alex Pierce said, coming forward. "We wanted to know what happened."

"You haven't been sacked, have you?" Another student asked from another part of the crowd.

Hermione glanced at McGonagall, who nodded her head. She looked back to the crowd and took a deep breath. "The curriculum is staying; and so am I."

The cheer that broke from the crowd was deafening. Students were jumping up and down in excitement, professors were smiling, looks of relief crossing their faces, and even the ghosts seemed to be in higher spirits. Draco ran to Hermione and picked her up as he hugged her tight while she started crying, the weight of the evaluation finally off her shoulders. Draco spun her around, laughing, and when he put her down, he didn't give her a chance to speak as he kissed her with everything he had in him.

When a few of the students (and Harry) sent a few wolf whistles their way, Hermione broke the kiss, tears still running down her face, looked to the crowd and said "Don't you have a class to go to?!"

The crowd laughed and she wiped the tears away as she walked over to Harry and Neville and hugged them both before explaining what had happened up in McGonagall's office, unaware of the quiet exchange happening between Draco and his father, only a few feet away.

* * *

After the buzz had died down a bit and far too much Firewhiskey had been drunk, Hermione found herself wrapped in Draco's arms later that night, smiling to herself.

"Have I told you how proud I am of you?" Draco asked.

She looked up at him and smiled. "You didn't exactly say it but you expressed it enough."

He smirked. "Well, I am proud of you. I don't know if I could have done what you did today."

"Sure, you could have, Draco. If given the incentive, you would do it."

He shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. That's not the point though. The point is, you've changed the way our students look at Arithmancy and will continue to do so for as long as you're working here and I'm so, so proud of you."

She kissed him lightly. "Thank you."

"And, I have something for you," he said, getting up from the couch and reaching into his pocket.

"Oh, Draco, you didn't have to-" she stopped short as he placed a small box on the coffee table. She looked at the box, then at Draco, then back at the box, then back at Draco, her blond lover smirking as he watched recognition dawn on her face. "Draco, i-is that what I think it is?"

His smirk softened into a small smile as he pushed the box closer to her. "Open it and see for yourself."

With shaky hands, she did just that and felt her breath leave her as she looked at the beautiful engagement ring in front of her. She wanted to cry, scream, sing, yell, and kiss Draco all at once; but instead she simply took a deep breath and said "Why, Professor Malfoy, are you proposing?"

"That depends, Professor Granger; are you accepting?"

A smile grew on her face and she nearly accepted right there. But she wanted this to be perfect. "Do it right," she said.

He chuckled and got down on one knee on the floor and took the ring out of its box and held it up towards her. "Hermione Jean Granger, you are as brilliant as you are beautiful, as kind as you are loyal, and as talented as you are funny. I love you so much and it would be a privilege if you do me the honor of becoming my wife. Will you marry me?"

She didn't need Arithmancy to figure this one out. "Yes."

 **The End.**

* * *

 ** _That's it! I hope you guys liked it!_**

 ** _Please review!_**

 ** _Facecasts for Alex, Victoria, and Sanders are on the EoA pinterest board along with Hermione's dress and engagement ring._**


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